Fresh off her "Hunger Games" success, Jennifer Lawrence has been collecting trophies this awards season, culminating in an Oscar nomination. Here, she attends the 85th Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in early February. (AFP/Getty Images)

Jennifer Lawrence has gone from being “the girl on fire” in “The Hunger Games” to Hollywood’s golden girl for her turn as a neurotic young widow in “Silver Linings Playbook.”

She’s considered by many a front-runner for the best-actress Oscar when the 85th annual Academy Awards get underway Sunday night, capping an awards season that has seen Lawrence dominate the top honors — including the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice awards.

But the Academy Awards voters aren’t swayed by the masses, of course. And Lawrence has plenty of competition heading into the ceremony being held tonight at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Lawrence is competing with Jessica Chastain for “Zero Dark Thirty,” Emmanuelle Riva for “Amour,” Quvenzhané Wallis for “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” and Naomi Watts for “The Impossible.”

In the wake of the Oscar nominations last month, many pundits predicted the race would come down to Lawrence versus Chastain.

But in the days and weeks since then, the conventional thinking has shifted to Lawrence and Riva.

As noted recently in the Los Angeles Times, an appreciation for Riva’s career as well as her performance as a woman confronting her mortality after a debilitating stroke could make Riva the one to beat.

If Lawrence goes home empty-handed, she’ll have this for solace: The 22-year-old has built one of the most enviable careers in Hollywood. She’s balanced big box-office fare such as “The Hunger Games” and “X-Men” franchises with more dramatic roles such as “Silver Linings Playbook.”

Lawrence reunites with her “Silver Linings” costar Bradley Cooper for “Serena,” slated for a September release. And the second “Hunger Games” installment, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” is due in theaters Nov. 22.

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15 Responses to Oscars 2013: Can Jennifer Lawrence be stopped?

jennifer lawrence, defenetly deserves the win. I usually do not like movies like the silver lining playbook but her performance (along with bradley coopers's) made this movie incredible to watch. Something about her just makes every movie she is in that much better.

She deserves to win. Shes the best actress in the world. She should of won an oscar for winters bone also. I think we’re witnessing one of the best actors ever. And she never has taken acting lessons. Talk about natural , top notch talent.

Both these girls deserve it… It's sad that we are nothing more then Spartans and someone has to go down in the arena for us to have our rush… Last year the Academy gave Viola Davis's award to Meryl Streep… Irony is Viola would have walked home with an Oscar this year… Will they give it to the 88 year old playing an 88 year old, or the 11 year old playing the 11 year old. Honestly the entire show is a HOAX… How can these IMBECILES, nominate A move for Best Picture and not the Director. Chatham Sebastian

Ohh yeahh she win !! Im very proud of herr ! Jenn you are the best ! To you cara that wrote that he is a mediocre !! You are that ! If she is a mediocre why he haves golden globes awards oscars people choice awards etc .. Take that